Come to find a comfortable posture for your body in this moment.
Give your body the gift of space to really explore what might feel best for it right now.
Maybe that's seated,
Maybe that's lying down.
And as you settle into your posture of choice,
Also know that you can always make adjustments throughout the practice.
Honor your body in allowing it to feel as comfortable as it can,
Knowing that might change throughout the practice.
And I invite you now,
If it's comfortable,
To close the eyes,
To begin to turn your focus inward.
If that's not comfortable,
You can also find a soft gaze on a point of focus.
Now shift your focus to your breath.
With a gentle,
Compassionate awareness,
Just notice your natural breath as it is in this moment.
Just noticing the qualities and speed of the inhale and exhale.
Maybe even noticing any sense of space or pause between the inhale and the exhale.
If it's comfortable,
You can stay here.
Otherwise,
You're going to move into a body scan.
I'll be naming different parts of the body and simply just bring your awareness there.
There's no need to move or do anything,
Really.
Just bringing your awareness to the parts of the body that I name.
Again,
Giving yourself the space to honor whatever comes up around that.
Just noticing and naming any sensations or feelings that arise as you bring your awareness to that particular body part.
Knowing we won't stay at any one point for too long.
With a gentle,
Compassionate awareness,
Bring your attention to the top of your head,
The sides of your head,
The back of your head.
Bring your awareness to your forehead,
Your eyes,
Nose,
Cheeks,
Your top lip,
Your bottom lip.
Bring your awareness to your tongue inside of your mouth and notice where it rests.
Can you allow the tongue to fall back into the mouth on the next exhale?
Move your awareness now to your ears and your jaw from your ears all the way down to your chin.
As you inhale,
Bring your awareness to all of the facial muscles.
As you exhale,
Invite them all to soften and release.
Take a couple more breaths here as you inhale.
Bring your awareness to the facial muscles.
As you exhale,
Inviting them to soften.
Move your awareness now to your neck and your throat.
Move your awareness down to your shoulders.
As you inhale,
Bring your awareness to your shoulders.
As you exhale,
Invite any softening and release in the shoulder muscles.
Go ahead and take a couple more breaths here trying to release and soften the shoulder muscles.
Begin to move your awareness to the upper arms,
The elbows,
The forearms,
The wrists,
Palms of the hands,
Backs of the hands,
All 10 fingers.
Move your awareness now to your chest and your abdomen,
Noticing any subtle movement in the chest and the abdomen as you inhale and exhale.
Allow your awareness to move to the side body,
The ribs,
The waist.
Move that awareness now to the back body,
Upper back,
Middle back,
And lower back.
I'm going to take a few breaths here,
Inviting a softening to the back muscles.
As you inhale,
Bring your awareness to any pockets of holding and the muscles.
As you exhale,
Invite those muscles to soften and release.
Move your awareness now to your hips and your pelvis.
Move your awareness to the upper legs,
Noticing if there's any gripping or holding there,
And if so,
Invite those muscles to let go on the exhale.
Move your awareness to the knees,
The shins,
Calf muscles,
The ankles,
And tops of the feet,
Heels of the feet,
Soles of both feet,
And all 10 toes.
As you inhale,
Bring an awareness to your entire being,
And as you exhale,
Invite your body to surrender and release into the support beneath it.
To whatever level feels comfortable,
Continue this practice.
Inhale,
Notice your entire body,
And exhale,
Allowing it to surrender and soften into the support beneath it,
And then gently letting the practice go,
And just taking a moment to notice however it is that you feel right now in this moment,
Without a right or wrong way to feel.
Just cultivating a sense of inner awareness,
And cultivating that awareness with a sense of gentle,
Compassionate awareness,
And then slowly begin to deepen your breath.
Rub the thumb over the fingertips.
If you're lying down,
You can roll to one side,
And gently press yourself up into a seated posture,
And then very gently bring both palms of the hands together at the center of the chest.
Bring the chin in towards the chest,
Bringing your mind's eye into your heart center,
And we're going to offer gratitude to our bodies.
Just notice what comes up with the thought of that.
In your own time,
To your own level of comfort,
Offer gratitude for your body,
And whenever you're ready,
The eyes are closed,
Slowly begin to open the eyes.
If you're holding a soft gaze,
Allow that focus to become more deliberate and focused.
Bringing awareness into the room around you,
And just thanking yourself for taking the time to go inward,
To explore with a gentle,
Compassionate curiosity.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
